These Old Stories
Stories can be medicine, and they can be poison. Let me explain.
Those ruminating, self-doubtful stories can run rampant in our mind’s eye. These are the stories that, if left to fester, reinforce outdated beliefs and have us circling the drain of the shame spiral. They hold us back. They make us forget the wonder we are a part of.
One of the beautiful byproducts of women gathering to express themselves creatively is that we share and process stories together. Our nervous systems sync up as we tell our stories. And most remarkably, those voices in our heads, when exposed to daylight, get disarmed. We come to realize how common and actually banal they are, and we let them go.
Our choirs are also storytelling groups. We engage in a collective discovery of lost folklore, poetry, lyrics and women who, in many cases, were nearly erased from history due to the prevalence of folklore that centred commerce and war. Who was tending the home fire when said hero was on his journey?
When we listen to the tale of the wise woman weaving the story of the world, we connect to magic and lore. We find ritual and ceremony vital to a beautiful existence. We sift through metaphor and take pride in the lessons we can learn and tell through this collective art form. The Alberta Provincial Government just banned the book “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Canadian poet and novelist Margaret Atwood.
We continue to share the songs and the stories.
Will you join us?
The Songkeepers Choir, in its third season, will continue to explore ancestral folklore and song, weaving harmonies and sharing the awareness that we are going to be ancestors one day. We share wisdom that soothes and supports us in this time. We’ll meet at Taghum Hall on Tuesdays (and a few Thursdays) from 6:30 to 8:30 beginning September 2.
A second choir is being born, out of my hunger to explore the same themes we do in the Songkeepers with a group of women who share a piece of my ancestral story. Women of Doukhobor & Eastern European Ancestry, as well as anyone curious to explore these cultures that have had a significant influence on this place, are welcome to attend. We’ll meet at Tarry’s Hall on Wednesdays at 6-8pm starting September 3.
Both choirs will be singing in multiple languages. You don't need any proficiency in language or singing to participate, and the sessions run until the end of November. There will be performances, but only if you feel called to perform. Cost is $200-225, and you can transfer to Jen@humanideas.net. Please, tell your friends. More voices create more layered harmonies.
A $20 drop-in fee per session is available for September. After that, we would like to establish some consistency in the group to build relationships and trust. LGBTQ+ and trans people identifying with women’s communities are warmly welcome.
Here is a link to one of the songs we will sing in BOTH choirs. It goes perfectly with the first week’s theme.
Elderflower Yoga
Yoga for Recovery is beginning after our August pause on a new evening, Mondays from 6-7:30 at 4046 Frogs Vista Drive. Here, we’ll practice restorative movement, listen to soothing readings, poetry and music, and then share and listen over herbal tea.
Sharing is voluntary, and you are welcome to slip away before it begins. No yoga experience is necessary. You never have to share what you are in recovery from, be it grief, anxiety, substance use, disordered eating, abuse, depression, infant loss, cancer, or whatever it is you are in recovery from.
This fall, classes will be 100% by donation, which supports the costs of running the space. Space is limited; please register online for free and bring cash donations with you.
